A bus with the offending slogan... Mr Heather was allowed by his bosses to drive one without the advert

Mr Heather saw the advert when he arrived for work last Saturday.

He said: 'My first reaction was horror. I felt strongly that I couldn't drive that bus and so I told my inspectors. They said they didn't have another one, so I thought I'd better go home.

'To be fair, the company have been very good and have agreed to do everything they can to keep me off those buses.

'I do understand that the advert is not breaking any laws and that the campaign by this group is set to end at the end of February.

'However, if it goes on any longer then I will have to think again and I will seriously consider giving up my job - I feel that strongly about it.'

Mr Heather, who served in the Royal Navy for 25 years largely on submarines, added: 'There would be no way buses would be able to drive around with an anti-Muslim message like that on the side mentioning Allah. There would be uproar.'